Ham holder



Jan; 1, 1929. 1,697,809

F. L. CHERRY HAM HOLDER Filed NOV. 30. 1925 QQ@ U- @7M if Op@ Patented lang l, i929.

narran stares tenses risica,

FRANK L. CHERRY, OF CHICAGO, ILLNOI ASSGOR TO LESLIE W. FBCKE, F PARK, VEILLNOS.

HAM HOLDER.

Application edvovember 30, 1925. Serial No. 72,084.

My invention relates 'to means forholding cooked hams or other pieces of meat firmly and adjust-ably in position for slicing so as to make possible the cutting o-the meat evenly into large, thin slices such as are desiredj for serving. lt is one of the objects of my invention to provide a device ot this type by the use of which the pieces ot meat shall be held in position with sufficient irmness for a cutting operation, and which at the same time is very easily adjustable in either direction at the will of the operator for enabling ready-access to the piece oit meat from a diiierent angle` it is another object of my invention to provide meat holding means oi' this type adapted ttor use in connection with the ordinary warming pan as employed on a steam table.

it is another object of my invention to improve devices of this type in .sundry details hereinafter point-ed out. The preferred means by which l have accomplished my several objects are illustrated in the ,drawing and are hereinat'ter specifically described. Vlliat which lf believe to be new and desire to cover by this application is set .forth in the claims.

ln the drawing- Fig. 1 is a'ee-ntral vertical section through a receptacle of the warming pan type provided with my improved meat .holding means, being broken away at twopoints for clearness of illustration;

Fig. 2' is a top plan -view of the meatholding means at the .middle of ythe pan;

Fig. 3 is a vertical crossisection.takensubstantially at line 3 3 ofFig. 2; and

Fig. l is a perspective view of the turn table member, shown partly in section.

Referring to the several figures of the drawing,* indicates a receptacle of the warming pan typeadapted tobe :held in position upon a. steam table by lan outwardly eX tending' llange 11. Upon its bottom face the pan is reinforced by cross flanges 12, preterably formed integrally with thepan.

At its middle point, the pan 1() is provided with an .upwardly projecting sleeve 13 which is preferably formed integrally with the pan. Bevolubly mounted upon the sleeve 13 there is a turn-table 14 comprising a downwardly extending sleeve 15, the sleeve 15 at its upper end portion having a working fit in the upper end of the sleeve 13. Upon the lower end of thefsleeve 15, l have provided a plate 16 in the form of a ring and comprising a cross bar 17 which is provided at its middle point with an upwardlly extending pin18. The ring 16v is releasably secured in position, serving to hold the turn-table 14l in position uponvthe pan and serving by its Contact with the lower end oiu the sleeve 13 to act asa brake with respect to the rotation of the `turn-table.

As is best shown in Fig. 1, the sleeve 13 of the pan or base 'member is provided'with a plurality ot recesses 19 in spaced relation thereabout,`in the upper end of each of which is mounted a plunger 20, such plungers in the construction shown beingiin the form of balls. In each recess 19 below the ball 2O there is mounted a coiled spring 21 which serves to press the ball upwardly into engagement with one or another of the sockets 22 *formed on t-he bottom face of the turn-table 114. The sockets 22 are arranged so vas to come into alignment with the recesses 19 periodically during the rotation ot the turntable, the arrangement as illustrated being such that -a socket is in alignment with each of the re- Cesses 19 at the same point in the rotation ot' the turn-table with respect tothe pan.

By this arrangement the spring pressed balls or plungers 2() serve to holdthe turntable quite iirmly from rotation, while at the same timebeingreleasable by a cam or wedge action against the force ofthe springs for permitting rotation of the turn-table upon the application of a fairly moderate pressure to the turn-table forrotating it. The strength of the springs 21 is such thatthe turn-table willbe held with suflicientlirmness for preventing lrotation of the turntable under any ordinary conditions lincident tothe slicing of the meat as hereinafter described. The turn-table can, however, loe rotated in either direction whenever desired by the operator. i

.The `means for, holding a hamy or other piece oflmeat in position .upon the turn-table comprises, :in the construction shown, three wing bolts 23 which are connected 'by means of screw threads with .the turn-,table '14, :the turn-tablebeingl provided with upward extensions 24 thereon for reception of such bolts. Upon the inner ends of the bolts 23, l have provided serrated clamping plates 25 ot any approved type which are adapted by engagement with the sides of a piece of meat to clamp it firmly in position on the turntable above the bottom of the pan 10.

When a piece of meat such as the ham 26 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l is to be secured in position upon the turn-table, the bone 27 of such ham is placed in position upon the pin 18 and the clamping plates 25 are brought to bear iirmly against the sides ot the bone or against the sides of the piece oi meat so as to hold it rigidly in position with respect to the turn-table.

lVitha piece of meat held rigidly in position above the turn-table 14;, an operator can to the best possible advantage trim or slice the meat as he may desire. 'Vhenever he de sires to turn the piece ot meat in the pan, he can do so by applying a moderate amount of pressure upon the turntable or upon the piece of meat as above described.

While I prefer to employ the construction as illustrated in the drawing andas above described, it will be understood that l do not desire to be limited to the 'form ot construction as shown except so tar as the same may be speciically claimed, since it is evident that changes may well be made in the form ot construction without departing 'from the spirit of my invention. Y

I claim:

l. A meat holding device comprising a base, a turn-table mounted thereon, means carried by said turn-table tor supporting a piece of meat in .fixed position thereon, and releasable means ttor holding said turn-table adjustably in position on said base but retracted by a camming action upon rotation of the turn-tablein eithervdirection by the application ot a slight force thereto.

2. A meat holding device, comprising a base, a turn-table mounted thereon, means carried by said turn-table for supporting a piece of meat in ixed position thereon, and a plurality of releasable holding members arranged in spaced relation about the base adapted to cooperate for holding` the turntable adjustably in position thereon, being withdrawn from holding engagement withthe turn-table by rotation Vof the turn-table in either direction upon the application ot a slight force thereto. ,Y

3. Ameat holding device, comprising` a baie member, a rotatable member mounted on said base member, spring pressed plunger means carried by one of said members in position to engage any ot' a plurality of sockets in the other lmember for holding the lrotatable member adjustably in position, and means .Y

carried by the rotatablemember for supporting a piece of meat m fixed position thereon.

4. A meat holding device, comprising a 4base member, a rotatable member mounted on said base member, va plurality of pilungers mounted in upwardly opening recesses arranged in spaced relation about said base, a plurality ot springs in said recesses respectively tending to torce said plungers out of the recesses into engagement with correspondingly positioned downwardly opening sockets in said rotatable member for holding the rotatable member releasably against rotation on the base member, and means carried by the rotatable member for supportinga piece oi meat in fixed position thereon.

5. ln a meat holding device, the combination of a base comprising a vertically extending sleeve, a turn-table provided with a downwardly extending sleeve journalled in the sleeve of said base, a retaining member releasably carried by the turn-table adapted to hold the turn-table in position on the base and adapted by irictional engagement with the base to act as a brake with respect to rotation of the turn-table, a plurality of balls mounted in upwardly opening recesses arranged in spaced relation about said base, a plurality of springs mounted in said recesses respectively tending to force said balls out 0i said recesses into engagement with sockets formed in said turntable in spaced relation about said downwardly extending sleeve for holding the turn-table releasably against rotation on the base, and means carried by the turntable for supporting a piece ot meat in iixed position thereon.

6. A meat holding device, comprising in combinationapanhaving an opening through the bottom, a tiange rising from the bottom of the pan about said opening, an upwardly pro- Iiecting pin supported in said opening, and

adjustable clamping devices in spaced relation to each other about said pin and at a higher level for holding a piece of meat in position on the pin.

7. A meat holding device, comprising in combinationapanhaving an opening through the bottom, a flange in the 'form of a ring rising from the bottom oit the pan about said opening, a turn-table revolubly mounted in said ring, means carried by said turnftable for supporting a piece of meat lirmly in position thereon, and means for holding said turn-table releasably in adjusted positionA with respect to said ring.

FRANK L. CHERRY. 

